Lamp guard



. 1,634,439 July 5 1927' A. G. URBAHNS LAMP GUARD Filed Sept. l2. 1925 Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED 1,634,439 'PATENT FFtcE..

ALLEN G. URBAHNS, or VALPARAISO, rNi-JIANA, assrcfNoR To MGGILL MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, 0F VALPARAISO, INDIANA, a ooRronATIoN or INDIANA.

LAMP GUARD.

Application led September My invention relates 'to lamp guards and 'more particularly toa quick detachable wire lamp guard for application to lamp sockets.

The purpose of my invention is 'to pr'ovide a lamp guard that can be quickly attached and removed without the use of any tools and which will grip firmly 'when in positioin As is well known, all sockets have some form of bead thereon such as a screw thread for securing' shade holders of similar devices thereto. My invention contemplates the provision lof means frictionally engaging the outer face of the socket `inwardly beyond saidb'ea'd so as to hold the lamp guard firmly in position under' ordinary circumstances, but permitting the removal of the same by an outward pull on the same without the use of tools. y

More particularly itis a purpose of my invention to provide a lamp guard provided with ak body 'portion having yielding fingers extending endwise beyond the same that engage with the outer surface of the lamp socket inwardly of the above mentioned bead to firmly hold the lamp guard in position.

Lamp guards of this character are usually made of wire and the wire has a certain amount of resiliency suilicient to hold the guard in place frictionally and accordingly the resilientfingers are preferably extensions of certain of the wires of the lamp guard and preferably are held from outward movement beyond a certain limit by means of a stifl'ening` ring or a conning member spaced a short distance from the free ends of the wires. The wires preferably Yincline slightly inwardly beyond said stiffening rin@ and are provided with recurved ends whifili act as cam members when the guard is moved axially into engagement with the socket to force the free ends of the wires or other resilient members outwardly to pass over the bead on the socket after which the same firmly engage with the socket inwardly of said bead to hold the same in place.

While the lamp guard is preferably made with an open enlarged end for ready insertion and removal of the lamps from the socket, yet, if desired, the end may be made closed as this is immaterial, as far as the principle that is involved, for holding the lamp guard in position on the socket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the accompanying drawings proceeds. How- 112, 1925. Serial No. 56,013.

socket being omitted as the particular construction thereof has no bearing on the invention. Y

' Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved lamp guard comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending wires 5 which are secured together by means ofpairs `of spacing'rings 6 and 7, 8 and 9. 'The rings 6 and 8y are arrangedexternally of the wires 5, and the rings 7 and 9Y internally thereof to firmly brace the same, vthe wires 5 being offset at 10 to accommodate the ring 9 and being provided with loops 11 at the ends thereof embracing the wires 7. Said wires 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are firmly secured together in any suitable manner at their engaging portions. This is usually done in the tinning operation, the tin soldering the parts together. The hoops or ring like wire members 6 and 7 are larger than the members 8 and 9 so that the wires 5 lia-re outwardly at the portions 12 thereof. The longitudinal portions 13 of the wires incline at a greater angle than the portions 12 and are provided with ofi'- sets 111 spaced a short distance from the ends thereof to receive the stiffening vring 15 which is fiat and which has the greatest dimension thereof arranged diametrically as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2. The ring 15 is notched as is indicated at 16 to receive the offset portions 14 of the wires 5 thus holding the wires 5 properly spaced and preventing the outward movement thereof due to the confining action of the ring or hoopk 15. Said wires may merely lie in the notches 16 or may be secured in the notches by means of the tin in the tinning operation as described above.

The free ends 17 of the wires 5 are inclined inwardly beyond the ring 15 and are provided with substantially parallel portions 18 that lie parallel to the aXis of the guard beyond the portions 17 and with the recurved hook-like members 19 that turn outwardly as will be clear from Fig. 1.

The guard is applied to a lamp socket, such as the socket 2O shown in Fig. 1, which is provided with some form of bead at 21 and with a substantially cylindrical portion 22 inwardly beyond the bead. The bead 21 is ordinarily in the form of a screw thread, although any form oi' enlargement would serve the saine purpose.

In order to place the lamp guard in position on the socket 20, the same is moved axiall into engagement with the socket the recurved ends 19 acting as cam members to torce the free ends of the wires 5 outwardly away from each other so as to pass over the bead 21, the ends ol' the wires being, of course, spaced more closely together than the diameter ot the portion 22 oi? the socket. Accordingly, the portions 18 thereof will be held in frictional engagement wlithi the socket portion 22 due to the normal tendency of the wires, which have a certain amount of resiliency to move inwardly toward each other. The guard is removed by an outward pull on the same. This outward pull requires a considerable amount of force due to the fact that a very largel number of resilient gripping lingers are in engagement with the socket at closely spaced intervals and due to the tact that the enlargement 21 lies outwardly beyond the portion with which the portions 18 of the wires 5 are in engagement.

If any difficulty is experienced in removing the guard by a straight pull, a sidewise twist at the same time that the pulling is done, will readily remove the guard. The construction of the device is, however, such that the guard will not accidentally come ott' the socket. Moreover, due to the construction thereof, the lamp guard is very easily placed in positionand easi'ly removed without the use of any tools or the fastening or unt'astening ot any catches.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. Ina lamp guard, a body portion having a plurality of resilient lingers projecting endwise therebeyond, and a ringlike stiliening member for said ngers limiting the outward movement of said lingers, said ringlike member having a greater radial width than thickness to make the same unyielding.

2. In a lamp guard, a body portion having a plurality of resilient lingers projecting endwise therebeyond, and a ringlike stifening member :tor said lingers limiting the outward movement ot' said fingers, said ringlike member having a greater radial width than thickness to make th-e same unyielding and having an annular series of wire receiving notches at the inner edge thereof.

In witness whereof, Iyhereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of August, A. D. 1925.

ALLEN G. URBAHNS. 

